Installation of sloped roofing components, particularly asphalt shingles, requires a great deal of precision in order to provide a strong and aesthetically pleasing end result.
The layout and proper fastening of asphalt sloped roofing are generally considered the most critical aspects of any sloped asphalt shingle roof installation. The layout determines where nails are placed, the side lap of the shingles, shingle reveal to the weather, shingle overhang, aesthetics and square-ness coming off the rake; factors which the long term storm resistance and general performance of the completed roofing system are dependent upon. Consistent layout and proper fastening makes for a stronger and more aesthetically pleasing roof, allowing manufacturers to offer longer warranty periods.
The layout of field shingles, or shingles in the central portion of the roof, in particular, is critical to performance of the system and to the completed look of the roof. Today, applicators are employing a number of methods to ensure proper placement when laying out a roof. Typically, a standard tape measure and lumber crayon are used, with marks being placed directly onto the underlayment. Once the marks have been made, a chalk line is often used to connect the marks from rake to rake or rake to roof protrusion. This layout method is prone to errors, primarily due to human variables, as applicators often mark the underlayment slightly differently and/or hold the line to be snapped at a slightly different point relative to a mark. Once the installation starts, miss-marks or human variables can compound, adversely affecting the aesthetics and performance of the completed roof.
Although shingles are primarily laid out using a standard tape measure, as described above, specialty tools do exist to ease the job of the installer. For instance, US patent application US20120079734 discloses a roof layout tape measure. Another invention, U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,275, discloses a roof layout tape and method of use. This tape is meant to be buried and left under the shingles. In both instances, additional tools and materials must be purchased, transported to the jobsite, hauled onto the roof surface and, in the latter case, consumed during installation.
Other current methods of ensuring alignment of roofing shingles involve application of underlayment utilizing a grid to assist shingle installers or the use of a tape measure, chalk and taught string to “snap a line,” creating a grid on the surface to which shingles are to be attached. The method of “snapping a line” requires some skill by the installer and each installer may measure somewhat differently, causing errors in alignment. The method of using underlayment having a grid thereon uses extra materials, is difficult to keep straight, with multiple sections often being required creating alignment issues over long distances, and adds to the time and expense of installation.
Despite the specialized design and usage of the products and methods herein described, these approaches not only fail to provide acceptable methods of ensuring proper shingle application and alignment, they also do not aid in the creation of starter books, still rely on the snapping of chalk lines, as in the prior art and with its known disadvantages, and do not assist the installer in circumnavigating roof protrusions or damaged areas.
Additionally, modern roofing materials and methods only provide limited direction to installers as to their particular mounting requirements and methods to be followed to provide the best possible end result. Oftentimes, such instructions, if any, are included on the packaging, which is often destroyed during the unpacking process. This results in installers installing such shingles according to generally accepted practices rather than to any particular manufacturer's specific criteria, often resulting in an inferior outcome, and one that manufacturers may be unwilling to stand behind should the owner attempt to have repairs performed under warranty.
Another issue faced by modern roofers is work interruption related to protrusions encountered or areas in need of repair, especially those in the field section of the roof and during initial construction. When a roof protrusion, such as a vent or skylight, is encountered, the roofer must often stop roofing in order to allow another contractor to perform work related to the protrusion, such as installation or repair, before continuing roofing. This is because the layout of further shingles is generally dependent on the previously installed shingles. This delay can be especially troublesome in cases where the contractor is unavailable for an extended period of time, preventing the roof from being completed in a timely manner and potentially exposing the interior of the construct to the elements during this period of delay.
Still another issue faced by roofers is shingle wandering. On large open field areas where no protrusions are found shingle wandering is common place. Shingle wandering describes the angular movement of the butt end of the shingle away from a parallel, abutting, relationship with a prior shingle. This creates uneven exposed roofing courses and may affect the performance and appearance of the finished roof.
In addition to the above issues, one of the more difficult aspects of laying out a roof is properly laying shingles in valleys. Current practice involves measuring where shingles are to be laid and placing marks from rake to rake and, before the valley, and snapping a chalk line between the marks and into the valley itself, so as to provide for proper shingle reveal and alignment. This measurement is time consuming, prone to error and requires additional tools to be hauled onto the roof.
What is needed, therefore, are products and techniques for providing better direction to installers and enabling more consistent, stronger and more aesthetically pleasing installation of asphalt roofing shingles, especially in large open field areas, without the use of measurement devices currently necessary, while allowing for roofing shingles to be applied around areas requiring additional work, such that a minimum of un-shingled roof is exposed while waiting for work on the area to be completed.